Transcript
Best Pacific was one of the main tertiary providers for Pacific people educating more than 20,000 students over three decades. Back in 2014, Best had received just over $US10 million in TEC funding to service 2,154 equivalent full time students. But this year numbers had dwindled to 1,148 and TEC funding was halved to just over $US5 million. In a statement, TEC said that Best had a high proportion of fixed costs which meant that it needed over $US 7.5 million of TEC funding each year to break even, but the amount of learning provided in the last two years didn't reflect this. Now insolvent, the list of Best creditors is growing but some Pacific people are angry that no prior warning was given and the timing couldn't have been worse. Multi-disciplinary artist Linda Lepou had been asked to provide costumes for an end of year graduation but says she probably won't get paid now.
"I think this is a wonderful opportunity for the community to bring this out in the open and have a broader discussion, in terms of not just about what has happened to me and others on the team, but also just in the community in terms of why are these organisations getting funded to determine what's the Pacific need and also where is the accountability? Where is the board? Where is the oversight? Where is the governance? Where is all that kind of stuff to protect students who are actually getting loans to do these courses?"
Another contractor, Sima Urale is among those calling for an investigation into what happened. One area doing well under Best was the Pacific Institute of Performing Arts (PIPA) and all their students and staff are shocked. PIPA spokesperson Olivia Taouma, says she can't believe staff were blindsided by events.
"Well the information that came through the news item was that we were closing and it was the end of Best, which means the end of our staff and our jobs and our students and the ripple effect of that has been hugely traumatising for all the people involved, but especially for our students and our staff just before Christmas."
Amanaki Prescott Faletau has been with PIPA for 8 years, both as a student and tutor and can't believe PIPA is finished. She says students still went ahead with their end of year show, but had to foot the bill themselves .
"The students cooked for our families and our friends the other night. We are still paying off the venue because Best Training has gone into liquidation. Our tutors and just PIPA alone pushed for the show to continue and did it with their own money and their own time. No one was getting paid."
Timaleti Maka is another frustrated student who is midway through.
"When I first started PIPA, Amanaki was my tutor, back when I was in certificate and yeah it is just heartbreaking that what we call our second home is going to be gone..."
The Tertiary Education Commision has been tasked with finding an alternative education provider for Best Pacific's 1200 affected students. PIPA students have been told they can complete their studies at Manukau Institute of Technology. But Ms Taouma says there has been little consultation or consideration for their needs.
"We were disgusted at the way the response was, [there was] of little process or robust research or anything. It was basically well there is one option and you can go anywhere but because most everywhere is closed and their audition process or closed their information and the students felt like they are being ghettoized and into this kind of stereotype like you know you are a whole lot of brown students, go to MIT in South Auckland."
A Commission spokesperson, Dean Winter, says they first indicated to Best back in July that it would not receive funding for 2018.
"And they provided us then with a business plan and an investment plan which we considered and then they made a submission to the board before the board made its final decision, and then they were advised in November of the decision not to fund Best."
Liquidator McGrathNicol is now tasked with investigating the causes of Best Pacific's failure and will report back to creditors in due course. With all courses suspended, the liquidators are working with directors, the TEC and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority to ensure the smooth transition of all students into other institutions.
